


technology reconnects us

by gladdecease



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Community: comment_fic, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-12
Updated: 2011-11-12
Packaged: 2017-10-26 01:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/277228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gladdecease/pseuds/gladdecease
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are lots of phone calls in the days after her televised jump.</p>
            </blockquote>





	technology reconnects us

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/49578.html?thread=11577002#t11577002) in response to [moontyger](http://moontyger.livejournal.com)'s prompt: Heroes, Zach/Claire, freaks and geeks

There are lots of phone calls in the days after her televised jump. Her dad fields most of them, but "No comment," becomes the phrase of the day in their house. He's quietly angry - he spent a large portion of his life trying to keep them secret - but he understands why she did it. He may have been okay with all the secrecy, but she's _tired_ of hiding.

A few calls last longer than thirty seconds, though - ones from friends, both Claire's at school and ones made because of her powers. Gretchen just wants her to be okay; Peter is worried what the public will think; he also tells her that Sylar (and _that's_ a whole other can of worms) is excited to see what happens next; Rebel is doing their best to keep track of everything now that easily a hundred thousand times more people know about them; Hiro's thrilled, he's planning on taking his "Dial a Hero" business international; Mohinder's coming back to the states as the only living scientific expert on the powers. Et cetera, et cetera. It's so much to take in, sometimes Claire feels dizzy just thinking about it.

Then one day she gets a call from a number she doesn't recognize. Caller ID says it's not a paper or anything, but she's learned that doesn't mean much, so she answers the phone with a wary "Hello?"

"Is this Claire Bennet?" asks a male voice.

"Who's asking?"

"Oh, nobody you remember, I bet, but I've got some video of you that's probably worth a couple thousand bucks right now."

Claire frowns. The voice is kind of familiar, but what video? "What are you talking about?"

"You know." He laughs and puts on a falsetto. "'I'm Claire Bennet, and, as far as you know, that was attempt number one.'"

That odd phrasing - "as far as you know" - sparks her memory. " _Zach_?"

"Hey, Claire," he says, voice warm now that she's recognized him. "How've you been? Uh, aside from jumping off Ferris wheels."

"Oh, you know," she says, faux casual, "first year of college, nearly got killed a couple times, the usual. You?"

"About the same... minus the almost getting killed parts."

"That's just because you lead a boring life," Claire says lightly. "So, I'm guessing you saw me on YouTube?"

"Yeah, you should see the comments on those things. Most of them think you were faking it, but I knew better."

"You do have first-hand experience," Claire says, smiling. It fades when she recalls something he said earlier. "Are you serious about selling those videos of me?"

"Don't be stupid," Zach says with no hesitation. Claire nearly sighs with relief. "I just wanted to say something that would make you remember me without spending five minutes going 'Zach, Zach... oh, _that_ Zach.'"

"I wouldn't do that. You were the closest friend I'd had in years."

"Yeah, but it's been years since then. You really expect me to believe you haven't had other friends since I moved?"

"You may have a point." She's had friends. Gretchen. Even West, in his way. And a few people she met because of her powers, though it isn't quite the same. But it's been a very long time since anyone was her friend just because of _her_. "But I'd still remember you. I didn't let just _anybody_ videotape me killing myself."

"Until the other day, you mean, when you let a dozen TV cameramen do it."

"Well," Claire shrugs, even though Zach can't see it. "That was a special occasion."

"So I gathered. What's going on there?"

Claire gives him the Cliff Notes, then a more complete explanation when he demands it, and they end up talking for over an hour. It's nice, easy in a way she hasn't had in ages. It almost feels like she's back there again, thinking she's a freak of nature, with only the camera-wielding geek at her side saying anything different. He'd been the first person to treat what she was as _cool_ , as anything but awful, and Claire has a feeling she'll always remember him because of that.

She tells him as much, and he laughs, an "aw shucks" kind of sound, and says, "I know I'll never forget _you_ again. You were the first thing in my life that was actually _exciting_."

Claire basks in the warm feeling that statement give for a moment, but doesn't miss the edge of longing in it. She thinks about what Zach did for her, what he could probably do now for others. She wonders what Rebel would think of a human partner in crime. "You know," she says thoughtfully, texting with her cell while she talks. "You could get back in on the excitement, if you want."

"What, seriously?"

"Yeah, where are you going to college? I know somebody, you could totally do your computer whiz thing with him, make some magic."

"I wouldn't call video editing magic," Zach says doubtfully.

Her phone chimes; Rebel's sent a reply. Claire reads it and grins. "You'll call what _this_ guy does magic, I guarantee it."


End file.
